Yet Another Anti-Gay Bill in Yet Another State Legislature – Listen Live!
Right now the Missouri State Senate is debating a “religious freedom” bill designed to protect businesses and individuals who oppose same-sex marriage and LGBT people.Â
The bill, SJR 39, sponsored by Sen. Bob Onder, goes farther than most. If passed, it would make voters choose whether or not they want to amend their state constitution, enshrining anti-gay bigotry into its text.
The legislation protects people and businesses from serving gay people and same-sex couples if they wish to claim a sincerely held religious belief that prevents them from doing so.
It is, of course, like most state RFRAs, unconstitutional, but that rarely stops lawmakers with an agenda.
The bill would amend the Constitution to protect religious organizations, clergy or other religious leader, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, or other houses of worship, or an individual “who declines either to be a participant in a marriage or wedding ceremony or to provide goods or services of expressional or artistic creation for such a marriage or ceremony or an ensuing celebration thereof, because of a sincere religious belief concerning marriage between two persons of the same sex.”
It’s Missouri’s version of Indiana’s “protect the bakers and florists” bill, but on steroids.
You can listen to the debate and vote live, here.
Follow PROMO Missouri on Twitter, and hashtag #SJR39 for all updates.
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